Thanks for the patience. For those of you who care, my move went well though it did take a little longer to get set up then I thought. Either way, we have the first chapter of part 2 of this story! Enjoy

September 1st, 1991

Harry stood looking at himself in the mirror in his room. He thought he looked rather well if he did say so himself. He wore a simple pair of dark blue jeans and a button-up, short-sleeved, collared shirt colored black. It's not like it mattered too much. Before he even got to the school, he would have to throw his robes on top of the outfit anyway.

After spending another moment to take in his own appearance he finally turned away and looked at his luggage lying on his bed. He sighed as he moved over and grabbed before setting it on the floor. Dumbledore had gotten him a nice chest to keep his things in. It was older but Albus had personally put protections on it so Harry trusted it more than anything he could personally buy.

He then left his room and closed the door for what would be the last time in a while. He then took his luggage and started walking down the stairs slowly. In truth, he was rather nervous. Despite doing his best to overcome many of his social issues from his childhood, he still did not like being around large amounts of people. What's worse, all the people around him would be children. He didn't spend much time around children besides during rare occasions. The last one was Olivia and he hadn't seen her since he moved to Potter Manor.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts as he approached his fireplace. He had worried about if he would need the professors to take him to Hogwarts but it turned out the platform was connected to the Floo system. He took a deep breath and picked up some Floo powder from off his mantle. He then threw the powder into the fireplace.

"Platform nine and three quarters." He called out as he watched the fire roar. He then grabbed his luggage once more and hopped into the fire. The next thing he knew, he was staring at what looked like an old-fashioned steam train. As if to confirm his thoughts, the train let out a loud whistle, likely supposed to signify it would be leaving somewhat soon.

Harry immediately waded through the platform full of parents and their children as they talked and said their goodbyes. When he finally reached the train, he stepped onto one of the stairs leading into a compartment and immediately pulled himself up. As he entered the train compartment, he breathed a sigh of relief for no longer having to be within the large crowds.

With that, he looked at the compartments and saw that several were still empty. It must be because a lot of people didn't get on the train until it was about to leave, probably to spend as much time as with their family. It was lucky for him though as he had the pick of the litter as it were.

Despite the options, he just picked one of the first empty compartments he could find and decided to set up shop. He placed his chest on one of the seats and opened it so he could retrieve one of the books he was going to be using to stay entertained for the duration of the trip. This was the astronomy book he had picked up from Diagon Alley. So far, he was loving it, it actually told him about different celestial bodies and how their positions could affect important things like certain Potions and Rituals. If he was lucky, he might even be able to use this to one day create his own Rituals.

With the book pulled out, he closed up his chest again and set it up on a rack that was above the seats in the compartment. With that done, he turned back to the door of his compartment and shut the blinds on it so no one would be able to see inside of it. The last thing he needed was to find out if he had fans among his fellow school mates. With that, he sat down and flipped open his book.

It was another thirty minutes before Harry heard another whistle from the train which should be the one signaling that they were leaving the station. A moment later, he felt the train start to slowly move, confirming his thoughts. After a moment, he looked down and continued to read his book.

He stayed like that for close to fifteen minutes before he was interrupted. A knock sounded on his compartment door before someone poked their head in. It was a redheaded boy who met eyes with him almost immediately. He had freckles and round cheeks which showed he still had some baby fat.

"Can I help you?" Harry finally asked as the boy seemed to be rather nervous to speak.

"Er… Would you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else seems full." He told him. Harry frowned at the words remembering how many empty compartments he had seen open earlier. He then let his gaze soften as he remembered how many students had simply been standing around on the platform. He shouldn't be surprised the train would be all filled up now. This boy probably got on late.

"Sure, I'm just reading if you don't mind so…" Harry trailed off shaking his book slightly in a clear indication that he would prefer to not be bothered. The redhead nodded as he opened the door more and came in. He quickly moved his trunk up and placed it on the above railing across from Harry's own trunk. The boy sat down and Harry went back to his reading.

While he tried to ignore the other young man, it was hard as he seemed to be trying and failing to force himself to stay quiet even though he did not wish to be. He started shifting slightly in his seat from discomfort and then started swinging his legs back and forth. Sometimes, he would swing his legs to far back and hit wood of the bottom of the bench he was sitting on. Despite doing that, he didn't seem to want to stop. Harry closed his eyes and took a breath before closing his eyes.

"Is there something you wish to talk about?" Harry decided to try. The redhead looked at him with wide eyes.

"Umm… What?"

"Is there something you wish to talk about? You seem restless." Harry pointed out looking down at the boys still swinging legs to make his point. The boy followed his eyes and looked at his swinging legs before stopping them abruptly. His face started to slowly turn red and he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I guess I am just a little nervous. This is my first year at Hogwarts. What about you?" The redhead asked him.

"It'll be mine as well." Harry answered simply. The boy nodded rapidly at that.

"Oh, are you excited too? My brothers said we will have to fight a troll to get sorted into one of the houses. Everyone in my family has gone to Gryffindor. I'm trying to go there as well. Which house do you want to get in to?" The redhead asked. Harry shrugged noncommittally.

"It doesn't really matter to me. I have no preference." Harry told him. The redhead frowned at that as if that answer surprised him.

"Well, I guess it won't matter too much, as long as I don't get into Slytherin. I'm Ron by the way, Ron Weasley. What's your name?" The now identified Ron asked. Harry had to actively fight to keep a scowl off his face at the question. He debated lying but didn't really see the point since he knew it would be revealed when they got to Hogwarts. He did have an illusion over his scar at the moment.

"I am Harry." He finally said reluctantly. The redhead's eyes widened and he felt his insides flinch in response.

"Oh, like Harry Potter?"

"That is my name, yes." He responded blandly. Ron's eyes widened and he watched the redhead's eyes shoot upward to his forehead where his scar should be.

"Where's your scar?" Ron asked bluntly. It was so blunt; Harry was almost taken aback by it. Harry recovered and then visibly frowned at the boy.

"In the future, that's quite a rude question, and not something you should just ask someone."

"Why not?"

"Most people do not like to have their disfigurements pointed out and asked about it. It makes them self-conscious and possibly might make them feel bad." Harry explained, thinking about reading on something similar. Harry had read several books on social interactions in preparation of coming to a school. The last schools he had gone too, he had been expected to stay nearly as silent as possible at nearly all times. Needless to say, his experience when it came to others was pretty much limited too… Well, Ciri.

"Oh, I guess I didn't think about that, sorry. You don't have to show me." Ron said backing off a bit. At this point, Harry understood then that this boy wasn't intentionally being rude but was likely just a little thick.

"It's fine… To answer your question, I am uncomfortable with large amounts of attention from people, so I hide my scar when I go places or walk around." Harry admitted. Ron frowned at that.

"What's wrong with people having attention. I'd kill to be famous." Ron told him looking off in the distance with a smile on his face.

"I'm famous for a dark lord coming into my house, murdering my family in front of me and then failing to murder me." Harry tried to explain bluntly to the boy. At this, Ron was knocked out of his daydream and started blushing in embarrassment again.

"Oh, I guess I never thought about it like that… Sorry. I guess I'm not making the best first impression." Ron said in a rare moment of insightfulness, Harry almost felt bad for the boy at this point.

"It's alright. We're young and I've been told I have an older perspective on life due to certain things. Its easier said than done but I would advise you to try and think about what you say before you say it. Pick up on context clues and such. Like I said though, I won't hold it against you." Harry replied.

"Thanks… So… Would it be rude to ask what you meant about when you mentioned the older perspective thing?" Ron asked. Harry could tell it was a genuine question and the boy was trying to keep in mind what Harry said.

"It could be. Depends on the circumstances. For example, your closeness to someone could also be a factor. Personal details like that can be tricky and somethings may not be your place to ask about. In relation to that question, I would be willing to answer since I kind of brought it up." Harry explained.

"I think I understand…So?"

"I grew up in an abusive household. Like many in those circumstances, I was forced to grow up faster than my peers." Harry said pretty much repeating what Dumbledore had once told him about it. Actually, most of the things he had said had come from the Professor. Dumbledore had made sure to have sit downs and talks with him to help him understand and grow socially. Especially since he almost exclusively spent time with older adults for the last year or so.

"Ah… I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I have come to terms with it."

"Abusing children is… and even further, you! That's insane." Ron shook his head in disbelief. Harry shrugged.

"It's in the past… So, what about you. Did you grow up in a magical household or otherwise?" Harry asked politely. The truth was, he didn't care. That being said, he had a feeling that this Ron wasn't going to settle down until he was a little more comfortable around him.

"I'm from a magical one. I live with my parents and six siblings." Ron responded. Harry noticed he seemed somewhat apprehensive when he told him.

"Do you have a not an ideal relationship?" Harry asked politely. It only seemed fair since he had spoken about his own baggage.

"No, we get along… Just, I live with a lot of siblings and I am one of the youngest. Kind of means I don't really stand out in my own home." Ron mumbled. Harry thought about that situation. It was kind of the opposite of what he had dealt with where he did everything he could to stay invisible from his relatives.

"If your family loves you, I wouldn't worry about it. We're young. If what I read is anywhere correct, we are going through a period of life where we may experience lots of confusing feelings while we also try to understand the world around us and our place in it. If I were you, I would instead focus on something you feel passionate about and make efforts to pursue it." Harry told him basically regurgitating a textbook this time instead of his professor.

"I'm not really passionate about anything though…"

"You don't have anything you strive for or like doing?"

'Well, I like quidditch."

"Quidditch… Is that the sport on the brooms?" Harry asked. He thought he vaguely remembered a shop centered around it in Diagon Alley.

"Yeah! I know all the teams and players. I keep up with all the stats of the game and everything." Ron said excitedly.

"Do you play it?" Harry asked.

"Well… Only with my family."

"Maybe you should focus on that then. Learn what it takes to get better and take steps to advance. I imagine training reflexes and developing a certain type of physique would be a part of it." Harry explained.

"Maybe… The school has house team but they rarely ever take on first years."

"Then become good enough to be an exception. Find a way to practice." Harry encouraged.

"You really think I can do it?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"I think anything is possible if one has but the will power to make it so." Harry replied easily. Of course, he used such logic mostly with himself. Afterall, he was trying to do something a little harder than get on a quidditch team.

"You know what… You're right Harry. I'm going to go for it. I'm going to try to get in shape for tryouts and join the team… Do you think you could help me?"

"Help you? No offense, but it sounds like you know more about the subject then I do. I'm not really sure how I could help you." Harry pointed out. Ron shook his head though.

"No, I can tell you're really smart. Much smarter than I am. You talk like you're already an adult. Maybe you could at least give me advice on the right direction. You said I should work out right. What kind of workouts do you think I should do?" Ron asked with excitement. Harry frowned in confusion at the adult comment, not sure if he should be pleased or not at those words.

"I don't really know. I mean, it's a sport. I imagine you should do some cardio to build up stamina and get in shape." Harry suggested not even sure what it is players actually did in the game.

"I think I remember Fred and George mentioning about how much they are forced to run in their practices. That's probably a good idea. See, I knew you would know what to do Harry. You are so smart. Would… would you like to be friends?" Ron asked as he looked at Harry with wide eyes. Harry stared back and blinked. Was this how people made friends?

"If you want, I wouldn't be opposed. Though I shall say now, I will likely be very busy all the time. So, if you're looking for someone to hang out with all the time, I may not be the best person to consider." Harry warned. He wasn't against making friends but Ciri came first and so did his project involving her. Ron looked slightly sadder at his words but the expression changed to one of curiosity.

"What will you be busy with? I am sure our course load won't be too much this year."

"It is not the school course work I am worried about; I have several personal projects that I put lots of work into and they are, unfortunately, very advanced. They therefore require lots of study and experimenting." Harry revealed while trying to avoid the true purpose of his projects.

"Oh. Why are you doing the projects then if they're so complicated and so much work?"

"I'm afraid the reason is rather personal. Needless to say, though, it's a matter of great interest to me." Harry told him.

"Oh, sorry."

"It's fine, that question wasn't unreasonable." Harry told him.

After that, they experienced a few more minutes of easy conversation before a lull in it allowed Harry to finally get back to his book. It seemed he was right and with Ron now feeling a little more comfortable around him, he was much less antsy. Unfortunately, his reading only lasted for another fifteen minutes before being interrupted again by the door to their compartment being opened.

In the doorway was a boy who Harry immediately recognized. It was the platinum blonde annoyance from Madame Malkins shop. The boy was a racist who had annoyed him greatly that day. Judging by his stuck-up nose and the two thick boys on either side of him that looked like they could be brothers, he doubted his opinion of him was about to get any higher.

"Hmm." The boy said to himself as he looked between Harry and the redhead. He immediately seemed to dismiss Ron before settling on him. The boys eyes seemed to analyze him before jumping to his forehead. He could tell the boy was looking for his scar though even if he had it visible, his Harry would have hid it.

"You… What is your name?" He demanded.

"Why?" Harry asked back already knowing the reason for it.

"Harry Potter is supposed to be on this train. I am looking to speak with him. Are you him?" The blonde asked.

"I am." Harry answered blandly. The boy smirked at his response.

"I thought so. I am Draco Malfoy, heir to the Most Noble house of the Malfoy." He said holding out his hand to be shook. Harry had indeed read up on wizarding customs and knew he should take the hand and show himself to be open to speaking with the boy, even if he wasn't. Harry also knew the Potter's were a Most Ancient and Noble house which technically put Harry as a superior to Malfoy. Considering how they first met though, Draco technically owed him an apology for his behavior and insults.

"Okay." Was all Harry said without taking the hand. Draco frowned and a sneer appeared on his face.

"Very well. I shall tell you once since you likely do not know, some wizarding families are much better than others Potter. You would be wise to choose your friends carefully."

"I know who you are and who your family is. We've already met before." Harry informed the boy blandly. He had read about some of the ruling families of Magical Britain and the Malfoys had come up a few times, especially in more recent history.

"We have? I don't recall."

"Unsurprising, I looked a little different at the time, and I had red hair as well of course. I believe you called me a mudblood and told me how I would learn who my betters are." Harry reminded him easily. Despite his feelings, he was rather casual with the words. As soon as the words left his mouth, he could feel a tension suddenly enter the air. Draco's look of confusion quickly turned to shock before settling on something between a mix of anger and horror.

"You're that boy from the robes shop." Draco realized.

"Yes. I am." Harry answered making eye contact with the boy. Draco looked like he swallowed a lemon. They both knew at this point what Draco was supposed to do, especially since Harry was not ignorant of wizarding customs.

"I… I apologize for my earlier behavior Heir Potter." Draco said with a slight bow in recognition of Harry's higher status.

"Sorry that you greatly insulted someone who you believed to be in lower social standing to you or sorry that it has come back to cause you a problem?" Harry asked looking at the bowing boy. Draco stood up and looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Did you not hear the question?"

"I did, I just did not understand it."

"Then let me simplify it. Are you sorry for your actions in insulting someone or are you sorry that in doing so you now have to deal with negative consequences?" Harry asked once more.

"I'm sorry I insulted you. It was not my intention."

"It was at the time." Harry pointed out.

"Well because I did not know who you were." Draco told him. Harry stayed silent and looked at the boy.

"You know… I was once told the easiest way to judge what kind of person someone is on the inside is to give them power over others and see what they do with it." Harry remarked. Draco's mind seemed to finally catch up with the conversation and he bristled at Harry's words.

"What are you saying?" Draco demanded.

"I'm saying that I don't judge someone on their social standing but by their own character. As of right now, you fall very short of my standards. Now, if that is all, I was reading this book and I would like to get back to it." Harry told the boy before turning back to said book.

"You'll regret this Potter!"

"That's Heir Potter when addressing me Heir Malfoy, we are not friends and you do not have leave to speak to me so casually. Perhaps I should send a letter to your Lord and speak on his failure to raise an heir who knows how to observe proper decorum." Harry smoothly said. Harry didn't know the Lord Malfoy but he imagined he was either as big a prat or his son, or he would not be happy to receive such a letter. Luckily, Draco said nothing else, he simply slammed the door closed and left.

"Blimey Harry. You tore him apart." Ron said in amazement.

"Hmm. What a poor child…" Harry commented absentmindedly. Ron scoffed.

"Nothing poor about him, he's simply a git, pure and simple."

"Heir Malfoy's attitude is a direct result of the environment he's lived in. If he acts like this it is because he believes he's allowed to. Either his parents never discouraged such behavior or they overindulge him and possibly encourage it. Either way, it'll come back to bite him later in life because he will be surrounded by people who neither like him or are actually loyal to him. What a sad way to live." Harry said with a sigh. He could understand being a product of an unfortunate environment. He didn't blame Draco for his attitude but that didn't mean he had to like the boy.

"I guess."

With that they descended back into silence but this length of silence was even shorter than the previous one as a knock came from the compartment door and it was opened by a bushy haired girl. She looked at both of them.

"Excuse me, have either of you seen a toad?" She asked politely. Harry blinked at the question before thinking about it. Was that supposed to mean something like slang or did she mean an actual toad?

"Like… a pet toad?" He asked for clarification.

"Yes. A boy lost his so we've been searching the train for it." She replied with a nod.

"Then I am afraid not. Sorry." Harry said to her politely.

"Haven't seen anything either." Ron chimed in. The girl sighed before thanking them anyway and closing the door behind her.

After that, they finally had peace for nearly the rest of the trip. Occasionally, Ron would ask him something and he would pause and answer but other than that, the boy kept to himself and actually slept for most of the trip. Near the end of their trip, Harry finally finished his book and set it aside in thought.

According to the book, Astronomy, as he thought, was mainly used in Rituals, Potions and Divination which is why it was still a required course. Of those three, it was actually more commonly used for Potions which Harry found surprising. Certain Potions could only be brewed during certain lunar cycles or when certain celestial bodies were prominent.

It used to be more common for Rituals but many Rituals were banned by the ministry these days and the ones that weren't were usually part of family magic to prevent the ministry from getting involved with them. New Rituals were rare in the U.K but Albus once told him that they were more common in mainland Europe, though, still not as common as they used to be.

Once he got to Hogwarts and got settled, he would need to make notes on which effects each celestial body could have and how he might possibly implement that into his future endeavors. He was already rather excited about it. If he was lucky, Hogwarts would have some more books on rituals and he could begin to see if he could perhaps make his own.

That being said, he had made quite a bit of progress with Ancient Runes and was now at a solid fourth year level which would mean he was an adept of the art. Arithmancy, he had never stopped using and Dumbledore said he was near sixth year level with that. Harry was still upset that both of those classes wouldn't be available till third year though. That always threw off his calculations on how advanced he really was.

Harry was so advanced that he had even made several more spells on his own at this point, and he had finally done so outside of just illusionary ones as well, though he did have to craft another illusion spell specifically for people with Occlumency. He had named it Uru Miran Taz as it was simply a further upgraded form of his already upgraded spell Miran Taz.

He had an official fire spell that Minerva had helped him create. He had finally found a way to increase the heat of the fireball and not just the size. He had also found a way to seep magic into the flames rather than simply have magic create the flame. His fire spell now burned away shields that stood against them, first weakening to allow heat to bypass before fully breaking and allowing the fire to push through. He had made the spell word for that spell Ignitus taking inspiration from the fire spell Ciri had told him the Witchers in her own world used.

He had also recently upgraded and found a way to create lightning. Unfortunately, he was having an even harder time trying to further enhance it with magic or creating large amounts of it. Lightning was much more draining but the explosive power behind each bolt made it a formidable attack even without magic increasing it.

His next spells he had created were actually Wards which he had finally had some progress with. One was a simple Ward that prevented entry into whatever it was protecting. He had to practice layering as much as possible until he believed he could not possibly condense the magic any further. The best part was he finally found a way to make sure he could walk through without letting anyone else do so. Minerva had personally tested it and declared it to be satisfactory. He had named the spell for that ward Unbracus.

The next Ward he had created was essentially a Notice-Me-Not ward. It was both a mix of an illusion and a compulsion that made it so when any besides the caster interacted with it, they would be unable to see what was being hidden and also wish to suddenly leave whatever was hidden alone. He had named this one Contus Miran.

He had other things still in progress but as he previously did, he would not assign official spell words to a spell until he was sure it had all the effects, he wanted it to have. Another problem was that some spells were made with his knowledge of Arithmancy and made to be cast with a wand. While he could adapt some of his ideas to wandless magic, some ideas were to complex for him to currently attempt to do so without a wand.

He was knocked out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on the door. He looked and saw a male older student poke their head in.

"We're thirty minutes from the station so you might want to change into your robes now." The older student said.

"Thank you, we will get started now." Harry replied. The boy nodded at him before closing the door as he left. With that, both he and Ron pulled their trunks down and began to extract their robes. Harry pulled out the custom ones he had gone back for at Madame Malkins and admired them for a second. They were just as smooth and soft as he remembered. He nodded in satisfaction before putting them on over his clothes. He looked over himself for a moment before closing his trunk and putting it back overhead. He turned and saw Ron was looking at his robes longingly.

"Are those robes brand new? They look really nice." Ron said with a wistful tone.

"Indeed. I had them use silk instead of the normal material. Feels a little more comfortable." Harry answered easily. Ron looked down at his own robes and frowned.

"Mine are hand-me-downs from one of my brothers." Ron sulked.

"That's smart. I'm sure it helps save a lot of money. I also imagine they're easy to repair with magic too." Harry said back easily. Ron looked up at him with several emotions going across his face.

"Must be nice to have new things…"

"Are you upset with me for having new things?" Harry guessed. It was rather strange to see someone actually jealous of something he had considering how he lived for most of his life though given his change in financial circumstances, he shouldn't really be surprised.

"Well, no…"

"Are you then afraid of what people will think if they see you in older robes?" Harry guessed again. Ron's face went a little red as he looked down and shyly nodded. Seeing the confirmation, Harry paused and thought on what he should say.

"I suppose it may mean less coming from me but I wouldn't worry about it. Impressions are important but people who only judge others on the quality of the things they have instead of the quality of their character aren't likely good people to associate with in the first place. If it helps, I don't think any less of you for wearing hand-me-downs and I don't think you should think less of yourself for doing so. Rather remember the reason you do so is because you don't wish to put further financial strain on a family you love." Harry advised. There was once a time when he was younger and heard the harsh words of his uncle on how much of a financial drain, he was on the Dursleys and felt bad. That was back when he still wished for their approval though.

"I guess... You're right though, my family can't really afford much in the way of luxuries. I guess it makes me a bad person for wanting more, it could be worse after all." Ron said reluctantly, clearly trying to act more mature.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting better for yourself, to some extent, I believe everyone does. The grass is always greener on the other side is an expression I believe describes this. I've been told the trick is to temper the want for more by remembering what one already has." Harry said back.

"Hmm. In that case, one day, I will get new things for myself. But I won't do it at the cost of my family." Ron declared proudly, puffing up his chest a little. Harry felt his lips twitch upward at the boy before nodding.

"A reasonable goal. If you're looking to make money, there are ways to do it without too much issue. Going into more difficult fields of magic can usually yield quite a bit of profit. Alchemy for example is a hard magical subject to learn but rewarding because how few people can accomplish anything in it. Even the easier things to create with alchemy can yield decent profits because how rare Alchemist are these days." Harry told him remembering that at one point, Dumbledore had used his skills in Alchemy to restore the Dumbledore family's finances to what they once were. The man knew his stuff but was by no means a master.

"Alchemy huh? I don't think I am smart enough for that. Besides, there's not even any classes on the subject taught in most institutions anymore."

"True but most schools still have some books on the subject for private study. If you're interested, you could probably look into the subject at Hogwarts. If you show some commitment to it, I bet Professor Dumbledore would even let you look at some of his own collection to help you." Harry suggested.

"Dumbledore's stuff? No way! Anything of his is probably priceless!"

"Maybe, but he enjoys aiding growth in students and simply doesn't usually have the time to do so face to face these days. Simply asking for books though is in his power and he'd likely just give you a copy anyway."

"Wait, you know Professor Dumbledore? As in the greatest wizard alive?"

"Yes, he is my magical guardian." Harry answered easily.

"You live with Professor Dumbledore?"

"No, I originally lived with my Aunt and Uncle but that didn't work out… I was moved to my own place and live on my own for the most part. Albus or a friend of his drop by once a week though to check up on me making sure I am safe and taken care of."

"Wow… What's he really like?"

"First and foremost, he is a scholar. He enjoys talking about theories and especially likes to speak on obscure topics. He is also very helpful, though, I think he knows a lot less than people think but a lot more than most do. He has a certain eerie wisdom about him likely due to his advanced age." Harry explained without hesitation.

"Wicked!"

With that, the train finally stopped or pulled into wherever their destination was. Harry grabbed his trunk and made his way out of the compartment. Unfortunately, so was everyone else which meant the small corridor was packed. It took almost ten minutes just to get off the train and onto the platform.

"Firs' years! Firs' years meet over 'ere!" A giant man further down on the platform was yelling while lazily swing some sort of lantern to draw attention to himself. Harry idly felt like it wasn't really needed considering the man towered over everyone around him. He must've been nearly eight feet in height alone. Not to mention his massive size.

He approached and noticed the other first years were being directed to leave their trunks in a pile near the man and told they would be delivered to their rooms later. Harry frowned at that but did as he told. If something happened to his things, he would simply go to Dumbledore and have it sorted. After placing his luggage in the pile, he was directed with many other children that looked to be similar to him in age onto small rowboats. He stepped carefully into one and Ron followed after. Behind him was the bushy haired girl who entered their compartment earlier with another pudgy shy looking boy.

"Hello again, I don't believe I introduced myself last time, my name is Hermione Granger, pleasure." She said politely while holding out her hand for a shake. Harry reached over and shook the hand without issue, then Ron did the same.

"I am Harry, it is nice to meet you both."

"I'm Ron and same." Ron said looking at them while shifting his gaze between the two newcomers. With that, they all looked at the boy who seemed to shrink in on himself from the attention.

"Umm… I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom. Nice to meet you as well." Neville said with clear apprehension in his voice. Harry observed the boy. He was clearly not used to lots of attention and it seemed to cause him large amounts of discomfort.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Heir Longbottom." Harry said respectfully with a slight tilt of his head. Harry had read about the Longbottom's. In previous periods of war, they often allied with the Potters who were considered predominantly light sided and produced famous War Mages. Further, House Longbottom was of equal social status as his own house.

"You know of my house?" Neville seemed curious. Ron smiled and looked like he wanted to say something at that but Harry held up a hand to stop the boy.

"Indeed, our houses have been allied many times in the past, I am Harry Potter." He revealed smoothly. Both Neville and Hermione's eyes widened at that revelation.

"You're Harry Potter?" Hermione almost yelled but seemed to realize it partway through and changed the volume of her voice.

"Yes." He answered easily.

"I've read all about you. Did you know you're listed in…"

"I believe I should stop you right there. Yes, I know about the books that I apparently feature in. I shall tell you now, almost nothing written about me is true. With that knowledge you may want to rethink what you're about to say." Harry interrupted. Though he was slightly annoyed by the girl's response, he did not let it show and simply explained the situation to her as polite as possible.

"Oh… Um, well…"

"Do you need a moment?"

"Please."

"Very well. Back to you Neville. I assume you understand now why I addressed you as such" Harry asked. Neville nodded at that but still seemed somewhat hesitant.

"I didn't think you would know about that. I thought you lived with some muggle relatives." Neville revealed. Harry rose an eyebrow at that.

"I'm surprised you knew that. May I ask how?"

"I heard my Gran speaking about it with Professor McGonagall during a visit once. I wasn't supposed to though so I never brought it up." Neville said with some embarrassment. Harry nodded at that.

"That's fine. I did used to live with my relatives but do not anymore. It's not important though. I'm glad to meet you. You seem nice." Harry commented. Neville blush4ed again in embarrassment from the compliment. Harry wondered if this was going to be a constant with this boy.

"Nice to meet you as well… So, are you excited to enter Hogwarts?" He said trying awkwardly to make small talk.

"Yes, it has one of the greatest magical libraries in the world and I intend to make full use of it. What about yourselves?" Harry replied biting the easy conversation piece.

"Oh, I can't wait myself. Can you imagine the secrets it holds?" Hermione snapped with excitement. Harry looked at her for a moment with a raised eyebrow. He had a good feeling he knew the kind of person she was already.

"So… You like books then?" Ron asked the girl warily. Hermione look offended by the question. Harry decided to interrupt there.

"Now Ron… Remember that different people have different ideas of what is enjoyable. It's not nice to judge them for that." Harry admonished gently to his new friend. Ron looked down in embarrassment before looking back up.

"He's right. Sorry 'bout that." He told her. Hermione looked a little surprised at that but nodded her acceptance.

"I forgive you. To answer your question, yes. I love books. Do you as well?" She asked looking at Harry with hope. Harry shrugged.

"I suppose, though, I truly view them more a means to an end than anything else. I find reading relaxing but I don't necessarily do it for pleasure. I do it with a goal in mind." Harry answered. Hermione seemed satisfied with his answer and nodded at that.

"That's fair, I suppose. Do you have anything specific you are looking into?"

"I currently have several areas of study I am focusing on; Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Rituals. I suppose I will also be taking my knowledge of Ancient Runes and begin experimenting with enchanting eventually." Harry revealed. All the eyes on the boat besides his were wide now.

"Wha-..."

Whatever was about to come out of their mouths was interrupted by the giant man who was leading the boats yelling for everyone to look ahead. They all did so and found themselves looking at a truly beautiful sight. A medieval castle stood elevated on a hill and it was full of beautiful lights to illuminate it. Harry drank in the sight and oddly felt at peace while looking at it.

"Now that's a view you could kill for." Ron murmured to himself. Harry couldn't help but nod at the boy's assessment. Soon though they pulled close to the castle and could no longer see it due to the proximity of the hill it stood on. They then pulled to the shore and exited the small boats. The giant ordered the students to follow him and they started heading up the hill. Harry couldn't help but notice it was kind of steep and it seemed strange that they wouldn't have an easier way to get up it. He didn't complain though.

They finally got to the top of the hill and made their way over a bridge to what appeared to be the main entrance of the castle. Now that they were closer to it, Harry couldn't help but marvel at the impressiveness of the massive structure. He wondered briefly if this was once a muggle structure that was converted or if it had always been a magical one. He was brought from his thoughts though as the giant man knocked on the door to the castle entrance. A moment later they opened and a familiar woman appeared.

"'Ello professor. I have brought the firs' years for ye'." The giant said to his friend now professor.

"Yes, thank you Hagrid. Why don't you go get ready for the feast? I shall take it from here." Minerva said to him politely. The now introduced Hagrid nodded before entering the castle after saying goodbye to the first years.

"Good, now, please listen carefully. This is how it shall go, we shall enter, there is a sorting hat who will sing a song after which I shall call each of your names one by one. You will then go up to the stool that hat rest on and sit on it. I shall place the hat on your head and it shall sort you into whatever house you will be in for the remainder of your time here. When your house has been announced, you shall go sit with them. Are there any questions… Good, now wait one moment then you will follow me." Minerva said to the group of children. They stood outside for a few more minutes with most of the children muttering amongst themselves, likely from the nerves of the situation.

"A sorting hat… Can you believe that? My brothers told me I'd have to fight a troll." Ron groaned softly. Harry said nothing about the gullibility of someone who would believe that, he simply shrugged.

"Where do you think you will go Harry?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I don't care for one house over the other but I imagine I will likely go to Ravenclaw or maybe Hufflepuff." Harry answered easily.

"Really? Not Gryffindor?" She pushed.

"I mean, it's not like I know for sure. From what I've been told though, I just think those two are most like my personality."

"Well, I'm hoping to go to Gryffindor. It's where Dumbledore went you know." Hermione said with some excitement.

"I don't mean to put you down but I think you should go to a house based on the success of someone else who was previously in that house." Harry told her trying not to sound rude. Hermione frowned anyway though.

"Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards in all of history though." Hermione argued.

"Maybe, but that doesn't really have anything to do with his house. Dumbledore was simply more driven in his youth and took advantage of opportunities presented to him to grow is all." Harry said back. Another thing he knew from Dumbledore himself. Hermione frowned but didn't say anything further as Minerva came out once more.

"Alright, follow me inside please." Minerva said to them and fully opened the doors for the rest of the first years. They all shuffled inside and entered a hallway right in front of big open doors. They walked into this second set and entered a giant hall filled with tables and people who watched them enter.

Harry looked around the hall and got lost in the beauty of it. There were floating candles in the air over the entire room and it looked like the rood was charmed to show the sky outside. Harry looked at it in excitement. An illusion? An actual pure illusion that wasn't some subpart of a spell? How wonderful. It didn't actually look terribly complicated until he reached out and opened his sense to the magic around him. He was taken aback by what he felt.

Like Diagon Alley, the entire room was almost all engulfing in magical presence. He had some practice though and tried not to focus on it. Instead, he paid specific attention to the roof of the building. It was actually more complicated than he expected. It seemed to be a mix of a static and complex illusion. He could see the static part easily but wasn't exactly sure what made it a complex one yet. He'd likely have to spend time observing it find out.

"…I'm the Sorting Hat."

Harry blinked as he noticed everyone clapping politely and he was pulled from his musings. He realized the hat had apparently just finished its song and he hadn't even heard it. Oh well, he didn't care about it too much anyway

"When I call your name. Please come and sit on this stool. First, Hannah Abbot." She called out. A young blonde girl came up and nervously sat on the stool. Minerva then placed the hat gently on her head. Nothing happened for a few moments before the hat yelled out, "Hufflepuff!"

After the first, a lot of the tension seemed to settle with his fellow first years and the sorting continued on as normal. Harry didn't pay too much attention to most of the people since he didn't really know them. The first person who came up he paid attention to was Hermione.

He watched the hat get placed on her head and the hall went silent. He watched Hermione's face change several time from anxious to upset to finally thoughtful. It was on her head for nearly five minutes before it called out finally.

"Ravenclaw!" The hat yelled out. Applause drowned out all noise in the hall as Hermione gave back the hat and moved to the Ravenclaw table. He briefly made eye contact with her as she did so and she gave him a small shrug and nervous smile. Harry returned the nod and tried to give a smile he hoped was reassuring. The next person he knew up was Neville. The boy was his normal shy self but the hat was only on his head for a moment before calling out,

"Gryffindor!"

Neville looked more relieved than any child previously had. Harry was happy the boy apparently got into wherever he wanted to go. Unfortunately, the next person up who he knew was Draco Malfoy. Harry felt his lips dip a little at seeing the boy called up. The hat didn't even get fully on his head before it called out.

"Slytherin."

The boy looked quite proud of that fact and sauntered over to the Slytherin table who seemed to welcome him warmly. Harry watched it for a moment before turning back to the sorting.

"Harry Potter." Minerva finally called.

As soon as she called his name, the entire hall burst into whispers.

"…THE Harry Potter"

"… no one seen him in…"

"Can you see the scar…"

Harry ignored all of them as he approached the stool and sat on it with as he forcibly relaxed his posture as much as he could manage. As soon as he felt the hat land on his head, he felt a pressure on his mind.

'Well, well, well… You have quite the impressive shields Mr. Potter." A voice said in his head.

'Hmm. I assumed you must've been communicating mentally with the students. Thank you for the compliment by the way.' Harry responded with ease.

'Quite intelligent, are you? Well, would you mind bringing down your shields, it's how I sort you.' The hat requested. Harry frowned at that question.

'I… Do not believe that would be a good idea. My shields protect more than just myself, and a breach of my mind would unfortunately affect another.' Harry tried to explain.

'Hmm, I see. Well… Do you have a preference for a house you would like?'

'Not particularly. You would just let me choose?'

'Of course, I never put a child somewhere they truly do not wish to go. You have input, more so than others at this moment.'

'I see… Well if it helps, I believe based on the traits of each house, I would fit most in either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. And of those two I already know someone in Ravenclaw.'

'Based on that reasoning alone, I believe you to be correct. Very well, better be…' "RAVENCLAW" The hat yelled out to the hall. The Ravenclaw table exploded into cheers and Harry gave a polite smile.

'Thank you kindly, Mr. Hat.'

'I'll be watching your career with great interest Mr. Potter. Good luck.' That hat said as it was pulled off his head and given back to Minerva. She looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. Harry gave her a small apologetic smile.

"You knew this would likely happen."

"I did, but I still hoped for otherwise… Still, I'm sure Flitwick will be glad to have you. Now go join your new housemates." Minerva whispered to him. Harry nodded and approached the still cheering table. He decided to sit next to Hermione who looked ecstatic to see him.

"We're in the same house Harry, can you believe it?" She asked him with a smile. He gave one back.

"I certainly can considering I am sitting right next to you. I can't help but notice you're not sitting at the Gryffindor table." Harry commented slyly.

"Yes well… I decided to take your advice. The hat said I would fit in most here and I will simply have to trust its judgment."

"A wise decision." Harry commented before turning his attention back to the sorting. The last person to go was Ron. He nervously sat on the seat and had the hat placed on his head. Harry watched carefully as it was quiet for a few moments before the Sorting Hat made it's decision.

"Gryffindor!"

And with that, the sorting was completed. Dumbledore stood up at that point and began his welcoming speech. Harry zoned in and out but he was pretty sure he got the main points down; Don't go into forest, don't go snooping around the third floor corridor, and enjoy the year. With a few nonsense words that were rather in character for the man, the food appeared and the feast began.

"What do you think he meant when he said Nitwick, blubber, and such?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I assume it has something to do with the food appearing. It possibly was a code phrase to have the cooks send the food out magically. Or maybe it was something else." Harry answered back easily. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"That makes sense. So, what class are you looking forward to most?" Hermione asked.

"Charms I suppose. I have experience in transfiguration and a little in Astronomy as well as Defense Against the Dark Arts. The other classes like Herbology, Potions, and History of Magic do not personally interest me as much. Charms is the only thing left that I don't really have a grounding in, at least not directly. I am proficient in Arithmancy so I know some spell crafting but not much can be put into practice without a wand." Harry answered as starting cutting up and eating a pork chop he had placed on his plate.

"Arithmancy isn't offered until third year though."

"I couldn't wait that long; I have things that need to be accomplished and Arithmancy aids me in accomplishing it."

"Like what."

"While I have no issue sharing my methods, my goal is personal and private. Needless to say, it is complicated magically speaking to achieve and I need to have a firm base in possibly many different areas to accomplish it." Harry explained. Hermione look like she wanted to press him but decided better of it.

"It must mean a lot to you then." She decided on.

"More than you can imagine…" Harry answered back cryptically.

After that, they spoke more on their classes and what they expected of them. Hermione did most of the talking seemingly growing more excited the more she talked. Harry shook his head in amusement as he watched her. It was nice to see another person passionate about something. Hermione loved knowledge and the pursuit of it, he found that rather pleasant compared to some things children his age focused on.

It was still a couple hours before they finally got assigned rooms and Harry was pleasantly surprised to find out since there were so few boys in Ravenclaw this year, they actually got to have their own rooms or were also given the option to double up with one another if they wanted. A boy named Terry Boot and another named Michael Corner decided they wanted to room up together. Harry however chose to take his own room, as did another boy named Anthony Goldstein.

When Harry entered the room, he found it to be rather small and plain compared to the one he had gotten used to back in Potter Manor. That didn't bother him though, it's not like the room needed to be big for him to sleep in. Although, he did need to find a space to start conducting his research and personal project. He had brought all of his notes and the current books he had been using with him.

At the end of the night, he said goodnight to Hermione before turning in. It was getting rather late and while he and Ciri didn't need to go to sleep at the same time anymore to meet up due to the construction of their mindscape, she would likely worry If he did not appear soon. With that, thought, he quickly stripped his robes and put on his nightwear before crawling into his new bed. With that, he drifted off to sleep.

"You're close to an hour late. Don't you know it's rude to keep a lady waiting?"

Harry smirked as he opened his eyes and looked to see Ciri sitting in one of the chairs of their shared library reading a book of some sort. She closed it and put it down when they made eye contact though.

"Then it's a good thing there are no ladies here, only you and I." Harry shot back feeling both is body and mind relax into a more comfortable state. He had to duck quickly as a book sailed over his head. He laughed at the glare Ciri sent him before he came over and wrapped his friend in a hug which she returned.

"How's my favorite warrior princess today?" Harry teased as he pulled away. Ciri scowled at the name though Harry noticed her cheeks were tinged red. He decided not to point it out though. If he pushed too much, Ciri would legitimate try to hurt him and she had found a way to do it too.

"She's tired as she always is." Ciri grumbled back.

"That just means you worked hard again. You should be proud of the fact that you can keep up such a pace without quitting. Not everyone is so strong you know." Harry pointed out as he took a seat next to her.

"So, you've said. Unfortunately, pretty words don't change the pain I constantly feel or the ache in my bones."

"I have faith in you. I know you won't give up just because it's hard." Harry told her encouragingly. He saw her lips twitch upwards at his words so he knew he was cheering her up even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Hmph. Enough about me, let's talk about you. Today was your first day at that school, wasn't it? How was it?" She asked. Harry shrugged.

"It was more a welcoming day; we haven't even attended any classes yet. So far it looks good though. I am excited to begin my classes and get started back on my work." Harry told her.

"Did you make any friends?" She asked. Harry nodded.

"Three, actually. Their names are Ron, Neville, and Hermione. Hermione is my housemate while Ron and Neville are a part of another house within the school." Harry had already explained the housing system yesterday and since she looked like she still understood, he felt no need to reexplain it.

"I'm glad to hear it… Though, you better not forget about me just because you got some more friends in the real world." Ciri told him sternly. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I literally spend nearly eight hours or more of time with just you in private almost every day. How could they possibly take your place?" Harry asked rhetorically. Ciri smirked at his words and looked pleased by them.

"Good."

"What about you? Any progress on your magic?" Harry asked. Ciri's smirk quickly turned back into a scowl.

"I have had no progress. The more I try, the more I am convinced you were right. It seems I am powerful in all the wrong ways." Ciri said with a sigh.

"I have been doing some speculation on that. I think I may be help with that at some point. From what I can tell, you should still be able to channel magic, just not your own. Or at least not consciously as the magic is in your body and not your reserves. I don't want to get your hopes up though so I will let you more about it later if I have something more concrete to go on." Harry told her. Ciri looked curious at his words but she simply nodded and didn't push him.

"I suppose it's not too much of an issue. I am still taking the Potions they give me and they are improving my physical abilities. I have started to notice the difference." Ciri said happily. Harry looked at her curiously. He knew about her taking the potions but he hadn't noticed any changes in her.

"What kind of changes?"

"Well, I'm getting faster for one. I'm also stronger as well. I'm going to go back to practicing with a longsword again soon. I also noticed that I think my senses have increased a bit. It's most noticeable in my vision but I think its most or all of them. The increase isn't huge but still."

"Hmm… That's good I guess, as long as it doesn't have any negative after-effects." Harry told her as he analyzed her expression to see if she was hiding anything. She shook her head simply though.

"Not that I've noticed."

"Good. Let me know if you notice anything."

"Why, so you can add fixing it to your projects?" She asked rhetorically.

"Yes." Harry said back seriously. Despite that, Ciri just rolled her eyes at him.

"Whatever… So, what do you feel like doing tonight?"

"Read?"

"Nah."

*Sigh* "You want to beat each other up with pointy sticks?"

"Nah, it'll just me beating you up with one."

"Perfect…"